Business of Sport

Athlete stories and their journeys beyond sport are a big part of this show. James Haskell is one of the most famous rugby players of the last 20 years, and much of that fame comes from the character he presents and profile he has alongside rugby. As you would expect, there is no filter applied to this chat. This is the real James, who came in ready to talk about rugby and the broader state of the game, alongside his work in the media, music, public eye, and so on. The big question is, and it’s one that James brings up a few times, if you want to punch him in the face at the start of the chat, will you still want to do so at the end of it? I’ve seen a lot of his content and followed his career from the beginning; I think this is a genuine insight into who he is, how he operates, and how he has built a profile coming from a sport than can often discourage them. We’re delighted to welcome James to the Business of Sport

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Airwallex
The intelligent financial platform for global businesses
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gemini
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

Charlie and Charlie take a deep dive into the rise and apparent collapse of LIV Golf, tracing the breakaway tour back to its ambitious launch in 2021 and the huge Saudi investment behind its attempt to challenge the PGA Tour. They examine the extraordinary financial packages offered to players, the appeal of guaranteed money and franchise equity, and why stars including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm made the move while Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy stayed away.
From LIV's failure to secure the distribution, audiences and fan loyalty needed to make the model commercially viable to the fundamental problems with team golf and its lack of history and heritage, they ask where the breakaway tour went wrong. With the 2026 season ending early, players and suppliers reportedly owed money and a proposed "LIV 2.0" involving fewer events and lower prize money, they explore whether LIV can actually survive in any meaningful form. Could Saudi Arabia have achieved its ambitions by investing in the existing European Tour instead? What happens to the LIV golfers now? And was the entire project doomed by the strategy from the very beginning?

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@businessofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

A blockbuster show to bring you this week as we look at the end of the craziest transfer window on record, Messi’s retirement from international football, the US Open tennis, and LIV’s reported preparation for bankruptcy. Add to that the story of how a golf trip to Scotland left Charlie Jr in the back of an ambulance after a run in with a colony of wasps, and we have ourselves a breakdown.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sport:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Subscribe to our Substack for bonus content:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@businessofsport⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

Today we introduce the sport of Rugby 7’s, as a brand new tournament, ‘Ultimate 7’s’ kicks off in Cardiff on 12th September. Managing Director Barney Pascall is backing a sport that speaks to a broad audience with a strong heritage to succeed as a business as well as a sporting product. Centralised team ownership, cost controls, venue selection to bring the best out of the first iteration without placing crazy expectations on it to fill 80,000 seater stadia. But most importantly and what gives this conversation credibility, is his acknowledgement of the challenges to overcome. You don’t create tribal fans overnight, you won’t create 10 Ilona Maher’s straight away, you have to give brands a reason to care, you can’t rely on owner investment forever. New IP is tough; we talk about it a lot. All you can ask is that the people running it have their eyes open to the realities of making it a success and you don’t feel like you’re having the wool pulled over your eyes. You won’t feel that here.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Airwallex
The intelligent financial platform for global businesses
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.airwallex.com/uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Gemini
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://geminisports.ai/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠

It’s been a big week in the world of knockout interviews. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin sat down with Alastair Campbell from the Rest Is Politics to talk through the crazy few weeks at the top of football governance. What did he reveal and did we learn anything new? We’ll take a look at that alongside the football club market after Charlie suggested over half the football clubs in the EFL are looking for investment, plus the PGA Tour’s end of season FedEX Cup bonanza, and we have ourselves a breakdown.

Disclaimer:
The content of this podcast is intended as commentary and opinion on matters of public interest in the sports industry. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, figures, statistics, and financial data referenced may be based on publicly available estimates and could be subject to error or change. Nothing in this podcast should be taken as a statement of fact. If you believe any information is inaccurate, please contact us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠charlie@20vc.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we will endeavour to correct the record promptly.

We're delighted to also partner with the Global Institute Of Sport:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gis.sport/BoS⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TICKET GIVEAWAY: Join us on Substack for a chance to watch Walton and Hersham vs Ebbsfleet with the Charlie's on the 5th September!
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://businessofsport.substack.com/p/ticket-giveaway-waltham-and-hersham

If you’re interested in partnering with the show, please reach out to us at:
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠bos@20vc.com⁠⁠